It's between you and me
by yesbones
Summary: This is the story of a maniac who likes to torture people. Torture physically, but even more - mentally. Klaus needs an invincible army, so... He must do everything in order for his hybrids to have no weaknesses. Or at least explore the cause of the greatest one. /This is one creepy fic. Consider yourself warned./
1. Beginning of the end

**Yet another story of talented missis_Northman that I wanted to share with you. Prepare yourselves to see Klaus in all his wicked glory ;) **

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The blonde picked up a full glass of bourbon and took a sip. Tyler noticed her hand shaking. He came up to Caroline, who was sitting on the couch and sat down on the coffee table so that they looked into each other's eyes.

"Caroline, you're exaggerating." Touching her cheek, he tried to comfort the girl.

The blonde pursed her lips and nodded. Anger and despair flashed in her eyes.

"You really think so?" She asked sarcastically, leaning back into the couch so Tyler could no longer touch her face. "So, you think I'm making this up about Klaus and his suddenly developed interest in me?"

She was starting to boil with anger, and Tyler could feel it but continued nevertheless:

"Care, Klaus may be a rare bastard but I don't think he is interested in something or someone other than his army of hybrids," the guy shook his head and again tried to touch her cheek with his hand, but the blonde ducked and pushed his hand away. "Besides, why would he suddenly want you? I understand that you have a pretty attractive face, but he is an ancient hybrid..."

He immediately stopped short, realizing that unwittingly he could offend Caroline with such mocking words. But it was too late; she jumped to her feet and walked to the door of the Lockwood mansion. Tyler didn't even move to go after her – she was too angry to listen to his apologies.

"Caroline!" He only exclaimed hoping to reason with her.

"Don't bother!" She hissed without turning, grabbed her handbag and opened the door. "I can deliver my "pretty attractive face" to the car without your help!"

With an unnatural spiteful smile, Caroline gave Lockwood a murderous look, and then went out, slamming the door with finality.

Caroline stood on the porch of the Lockwood mansion, overcome by gloomy thoughts. Once again she had caught admiration in Tyler's voice whilst talking about Klaus. Klaus, who once nearly tore his heart out of his chest. Klaus who killed Jenna. Klaus who eventually killed Tyler himself.

It seemed like Klaus' first hybrid didn't even realize how dependent he became on the Original. But with each passing day, Caroline's hope for this strange bond to weaken was growing increasingly dim. The blonde mentioned it to her boyfriend many times, but every time he just brushed her off. Finally the day when Tyler even without realizing it compared his Creator to her came, something she had been anticipating with a sour thought. And the comparison was clearly not in favour of Caroline. He already treated Klaus with such undisguised awe that he couldn't even conceive that ancient hybrid pursued his girl. Though it was nothing but the plain truth.

Caroline shivered at the memory of how after a party in honour of Thanksgiving, she had found on her doorstep a box, neatly tied with a beautiful ribbon. Finding no note, she untied the ribbon with curiosity, lifted the lid and pulled away when she saw the contents of the box. Covering her mouth with her hand and barely holding back nausea, the blonde pushed the box with her foot out the door. But as much as Caroline was disgusted, she tried not to look at it and turned it over so that the wilted roses and fat maggots slipped on the porch. The girl barely stifled a cry, realizing that there's absolutely no need for her mother to see it.

Caroline almost immediately realized who this nightmarish bouquet was from. Last night, she had a very interesting conversation with Klaus, where the Original vampire once intending to tear the heart out of her chest for the ritual. As though it might have sounded selfish towards Jenna, the blonde was still grateful it was not her buried at the cemetery of Mystic Falls. The girl often reproached herself for such thoughts, but could not get rid of them.

The blonde was still almost shaking whenever the Original was around her. Caroline was afraid of him. Almost terrified. The very essence of Klaus was a threat – he could smile kindly, but even then Caroline could feel a shiver going down her spine. And his voice. It enveloped her, lulling, and the blonde was beginning to feel like a rabbit before a snake. Upon his stringy "Caroline", she instinctively wanted to run away, not approving of such cowardly behaviour, but... The girl restrained her impulses, hoping that in the presence of others he was not dangerous for her.

But when she saw him that night in the street next to her, Caroline felt cold again run over her skin. Tightly wrapped in a shawl, she chose to pretend admiring one of the horses. She really liked these animals, but the blonde could no longer appreciate their beauty.

Feeling Klaus behind her was just unbearable. Caroline, pulling at the last of her strength, tried to act indifferent although didn't quite succeed. Now she hated her body, as if to betray her in this unpleasant moment it was tense as a stretched string. The blonde put her hand up to the horse's mane, trying to at least through this simple movement pull herself together, but in vain – it's difficult to remain calm when there's a maniac only a few steps away from you.

Caroline tried not to listen to him. It was amazing how such a monster as him could be given such a pleasant voice. The blonde continued to stroke the horse's mane, when suddenly the words of the Original carried to her:

"I enjoy you, Caroline. You are like a white swan. The same trait... The same beauty..." He brushed his fingers on Caroline's neck. "And fragility."

The girl shuddered and the animal, feeling her fear, jerked to the side too. As the blonde's second hand held the reins, she staggered forward unable to cope with her long and not very comfortable dress. Of course Klaus was there to not let the blonde fall. It felt like an electric shock when the hand of the Original touched her hand, and Caroline found herself in a very conventional embrace of the man. It was such a strong feeling that this time she could not help it, the girl flinched from his unpleasant touch. Instinctively, she felt his body tense and even had time to really get scared, but the hybrid suddenly took his hands off and let go of the baby vampire. Caroline immediately hastened to take advantage of it.

"You could save me a dance tonight." Suddenly drawled Klaus, looking at the girl's back.

The blonde quickened her pace, rubbing her arm where the hand of the Original had rested mere moments ago. The vampire thought that his voice was laced with challenge mixed with sarcasm.

"Maybe you should talk about it with Tyler?" Not being able to control herself, she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to the man.

"Maybe." Falsely mused hybrid after her, but Caroline didn't hear his words, going out of his sight.

And then there was the gift.

But Caroline still had no idea that this was just the beginning of a strange and frightening "courtship" of the Original. She just swept it all from the steps and tried not to think about what was the reason for such action. She continued to live on as before, go to school, date Tyler, and interact with friends. She has even forgotten about that conversation and the ensuing unpleasant event. But suddenly Klaus's face was literally wherever she looked. He seemed to be everywhere – at school, in the bar and even in the Lockwood mansion. The Original hybrid was trying to impose, offering her a ride, starting a meaningless conversation or just sitting at the next table, watching her with a hard stare. This unnerved Caroline, but she was still afraid to admit to her friends her suspicions about the ancient vampire.

Now she tried to avoid him, but it seemed to be impossible. When she decided to spend a few days at home, pretending that she was ill, Klaus suddenly knocked on the door of her house.

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	2. Artist

It was so unexpected that Caroline was taken aback. The blonde stood, unable to utter a word and looked at the unexpected guest. And he... he just stood in the doorway and looked quizzically at the shocked lady of the house from under the brow. Only his arrogant, self-satisfied smirk finally brought the girl from her stupor. Caroline furiously slammed the door in the man's face.

Leaning her back against the wooden surface, she closed her eyes. Blood pounded in her temples, and Caroline felt as if she was drained. Her legs just gave way from sudden wave of fatigue. She just got the proof that she was the subject of Klaus's harassment. She felt that she was about to snap – the tears were already rolling down her cheeks. And only awareness of the pleasure she would give the hybrid doing it stopped her.

"You'll have to talk to me at some point." Suddenly she heard a mocking drawling voice coming from behind the closed door. "And you'd better not make me beg for it, love."

At first Caroline thought that she must have misheard him, but quickly realized that unfortunately she hasn't. The frightening Original was still at the door, and it was a truly dreadful discovery. The girl's nerves snapped and she covered her face with her hands, slowly sliding down the door to the floor, crying.

...

Now Caroline alone went to her car, parked a little way from the main entrance of the Lockwood mansion. The girl felt like a prematurely released paranoiac – every rustle made her look around frightened, internally preparing for the worst. Once again, she almost screamed when an owl hooted somewhere in the dark. The blonde finally groped happily at the door handle of the car. Caroline has already pulled it when suddenly saw something lying on the hood.

The girl's insides turned cold when she took a step forward to take a closer look on the part of her vehicle which wasn't lit by the lanterns covering the driveway to the mayor's house. The girl somehow already knew what she would see, but still continued moving slowly forward. Only when the dead swan carefully displayed in front of her on the hood, Caroline finally stopped. Frozen in shock for a moment, she looked at the once beautiful and majestic creature. Someone broke its neck, and the vampire knew for sure who. She knew only one person who was able to turn the neck of the beautiful bird so cruelly, but still be occupied with the victim, as to more effectively arrange it out on the hood. "A true artist." She thought with dark humour, and unexpectedly remembered the words of Tyler about his creator enjoying painting.

Caroline stood, unable to move. She just couldn't bring herself to remove the bird. Couldn't decide what to do with its remains.

Suddenly she heard a rustling and turned anxiously at the quiet sound. The blonde immediately saw him. Klaus was standing under a street lamp and looked at her, as if waiting for the girl's reaction upon his appearance. Or... Waiting for the reaction to the new "gift." Caroline felt nauseous. The Original reminded her of a spoiled child boasting of his antics in front of peers. Except that the "tricks" were too cruel, and the "child" was a real maniac.

"What do you want from me?!" She cried in despair, feeling that she's no longer able to play his game. "You think this is funny?"

Klaus just looked at her mockingly. Caroline so wanted at least to seem brave, but his eyes were so full of confidence in his own impunity that she already regretted talking to the hybrid. The girl hesitantly looked back at the swan. "The same beauty... and fragility." She seemed to hear again the words of the Original spoken at Thanksgiving. A terrible suspicion flashed in Caroline's head and she spun around to face Klaus. Horror gripped her heart as the man's face began to take his vampire guise. None of the vampires she had seen had such frightening face.

"I really find it quite amusing." Answered her hybrid and smiled, exposing his strong fangs.

Only when she saw them, the blonde turned and ran with all haste to the house. Caroline instinctively felt the Original behind her, but didn't look back once. Reaching the wide double doors, the girl banged on them with her fists, almost splitting them in pieces.

"Tyler! Tyler!" She cried in despair, and when the guy finally opened the door, she literally collapsed into his arms.

Lockwood looked puzzled at his girlfriend clinging to him in fright. Caroline squeezed him so that Tyler became really concerned about his ribs staying intact.

"What happened?" He asked surprised and worried, looking warily around the yard and not finding the slightest reason for this strange behaviour of his girl.

The blonde lifted her tear-stained face.

"Klaus." With anguish in her voice she said. "He was there... He... He killed a swan and left it on the hood..."

The guy looked at her in bewilderment. His eyes flashed doubt and it made Caroline grab Lockwood by the hand and literally drag him to the side of the car. Tyler had no choice but to follow her.

"Now you'll see everything yourself!" The vampire exclaimed angrily, but when they got to the car near enough stopped dead, staring at it with surprise.

There was not a trace of the dead bird on the hood. Tyler meanwhile put his hands around her shoulders, obviously trying to comfort her.

"Caroline, it's not even funny." He said with a touch of irony in his voice. "Like Klaus hasn't anything better to do than to abandon swans carcasses on your car."

Surprisingly, his words didn't hurt Caroline. The girl had ceased to understand anything at all. Everything that happened to her in the last few days seemed as some nightmarish, bizarre dream. She just couldn't wake up.

Suddenly the light of powerful headlights of a jeep drove up to the house, illuminating them. Tyler instinctively lifted his hand to block the light, so that he was not completely blinded. Caroline chose to bury her face in his chest.

"Who the hell would roll up at this time?" Lockwood muttered irritably, hugging her tighter.

"Tyler my boy, long after midnight, and you still cannot let Caroline go home." Came Klaus' drawling voice, and the blonde squeezed Tyler's thin sweater with such force that she left holes from her nails. "What will Sheriff Forbes think of her beautiful daughter?"

Caroline felt rage filling her. This conceited prick could chase her all he wanted, but mentioning her mother was too much. These words seemed to her as a threat suggesting it was not only Caroline who may suffer. The vampire turned to the Original, still hugging Tyler's waist. It was the first time she wanted to kill someone so badly. But, unfortunately, Caroline's stare full of rage couldn't cause him any real harm. He just stood there, surrounded by three hybrids and looked mockingly at the couple.

"Klaus, I think, Caroline is a big girl and she has the right to decide what time to go home." Tyler said with irritation, clearly uncomfortable and confused at the tense atmosphere literally hanging in the air. "I can ask you the same thing. What are you doing coming here in the middle of the night?"

The Original smiled lazily, leaning against the hood of a jeep and thrusting his hands into the pockets of the coat.

"Quite a big girl," He said slowly, as if tasting each word. "We were coming back from the city and decided to visit you, my friend. Do you have a problem with that?"

Caroline looked expectantly at her boyfriend, feeling his internal hesitation. She wanted to send Tyler, Klaus and his whole gang to hell, but she knew this dream of hers most likely wasn't going to come true. While Klaus's first hybrid had an idea about the nature of the Original, due to their connection he was still drawn to him nevertheless. And the man was brazenly using it. When Tyler reluctantly invited the company to the house, Klaus's eyes flashed such superiority that the blonde wanted to immediately pierce him with a stake.

Men went to the house and Tyler was about to follow them but Caroline, disengaging from his arms shook her head.

"I think I'd better leave." She said irritably.

"Care, please." The guy grabbed her arm, trying to hold it.

She smiled grimly and shook her head again.

"You amaze me, Tyler," she whispered. "After everything that happened here today, you invite him to the house. Him!"

Tyler looked a little lost. He looked around and seeing that the men disappeared in the mansion, said:

"But you saw, they've just arrived. Klaus couldn't..."

Caroline shrugged his hand and took a step back. Then another and another. She just spread her arms, as if wondering what else she could talk to him about.

"Klaus. Klaus. Klaus." She mimicked his voice annoyed. "Don't you realize how much you're admiring that heartless bastard?"

Surprisingly, Caroline wasn't worried that the Original could hear her. A strange apathy has gripped the girl. A slight disappointment in Tyler's behaviour, the shock from the dead bird and experienced panic definitely affected her state of mind. She literally collapsed into the driver's seat, slammed the car door and starting the engine, pressed the gas pedal into the floor. She was driving at a crazy speed, as if it could help her escape from Klaus and all the problems associated with him.

Caroline was too busy with her grim thoughts to see a man coming out from the darkness on the rain-stained road at the last moment. Frantically twisting the steering wheel, she tried to avoid collision, and she almost got it but the car flew into a pothole, started to roll to the side. A moment later breaking through the fence, the car turned over on the roof and flew into a deep ditch. Even though Caroline was fastened, had she still been a human it was unlikely she could have been able to survive the crash. Judging by the awful pain in her chest, the ribs were broken and at the last turn she could have sworn she heard the crunch of her cervical vertebrae.


	3. Something special between us

Caroline reached for the seat belt, feeling the pain in her wrist. The girl clenched her teeth – the hand was probably broken too. Finally being able to get free and genuinely happy that the door wasn't jammed, the blonde slowly got out of the mangled car. Caroline slipped on the wet grass, thickly growing on the hill and fell to her knees. Already wet with blood, her clothes have become even more dirty and wet. The pain from the injury was still strong and dulled the fear. But the higher she climbed, the more slow and uncertain became her movements. When Caroline finally reached the barriers, the girl felt like a she had just climbed the Everest. These few meters left her out of breath she didn't need any more. But all of a sudden the joy was marred. At one of the bars laid a small bouquet with a black mourning ribbon. Exactly the same bouquet Caroline recently brought to the grave of Jenna Sommers.

A slight panic started to fill her. She frantically looked around, waiting for Klaus suddenly pop out of the darkness. It was his tricks, Caroline had no doubt. But what was he getting out of doing all this? Did he want to kill her or just to torment?

Next came a rustle, and the girl unable to control herself started to run. She ran down dale, occasionally sticking and falling on the wet grass. Fear literally seized her. She turned around, instinctively sensing that she is being persecuted, but saw no one behind. Despite this, Caroline continued to feel a presence nearby. Was it Klaus himself or one of his henchmen? She didn't know the exact answer, but now it didn't matter. Whoever was hiding in the dark was clearly stronger than her.

Caroline continued to run, having absolutely no idea where she was going. Finally she stopped and looked around. A mere moment was enough to understand that she somehow came near a dilapidated basement, where Lockwoods once held slaves. On one hand she realized that she could be trapped going into the basement. But the risk was worth it. Down there she could at least find some weapon to defend herself with against the stalker.

Caroline again looked around and not hearing anything suspicious, quickly ran down the stairs. Opening the heavy door, she went into the damp, dark room. Finally her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and the girl, trying to act quietly, took an axe from the wall. They used to joke with Tyler suggesting why Mason once brought him here. She weighted it in her hand, so she could take a better grip on the handle. Caroline heard a rustling behind the door and instantly moved to the wall behind it so that whoever comes in could not immediately see her. The vampire first caught the scent – judging by the tart flavour of the perfume, it was a man. But it was not Klaus, the smell of the Original she could tell from thousand others. It firmly associated with the scent of fear.

When the door was pushed forward, Caroline shrank into the wall and tightened her grip on the axe with both hands. One second was enough for the vampire to appreciate the might of the entering stranger. His smile did not foretell anything good for Caroline. It was definitely a hybrid, which meant... She was no match for him in a close combat. It was necessary to act right that moment while she had still at least a slight advantage. Aiming and swinging the axe with all her force, the blonde unleashed it on the man's neck. The stranger's head flew from the body so easily that Caroline was surprised. Blood gushed from the open wound onto her, but now the girl didn't care for it. Her enemy was dead. She felt relieved. No, Caroline was against the killings, but the realization that you can actually kill hybrids was a pleasant discovery. Hence, Klaus's army wasn't that strong. And maybe one day they will be able to get rid of the Original himself.

"Caroline, this is not very nice, not at all." Suddenly she heard a drawling voice of the ancient hybrid.

She raised a hunted look. The man stood in the doorway, leaning his shoulder lazily against the doorframe, grinning and looking at her. Caroline put forward the axe, as if it could scare a soulless monster. He clucked his tongue and shook his head, and then took a step forward, stepping over the headless corpse.

"This is not how big girls behave themselves." He said sarcastically, looking around the room. Having found the dead hybrid's head, the Original picked it up and in mock frustration clucked his tongue again. "He was really good."

Caroline took a few small steps back, still exposing the axe in the enemy's direction. One more step, and she bumped her back in the rusty grate. Being cornered, the blonde felt despair and rage at the same time.

"Apparently not good enough!" The vampire hissed, trying to figure out how to remedy the situation.

"You really think you can kill me with an axe?" Raising his eyebrows mockingly asked the hybrid.

The answer to him was a sharp swing of the axe. It cut the air, not causing the man any harm. Klaus, as if mocking his victim made a step back, so the blade flew just a couple of millimetres from his face. Klaus didn't even seem to be angry at her attack, he only looked at the furious blonde with a sneer, as if asking 'well, what's next?'. The girl clenched her teeth and then waved her arm. And missed again. In this situation, the vampire was just happy that sweep for sweep, she was winning back space from the hated Original. The girl moved away further from the grate and now she had at least slight freedom to choose paths of escape. She had a chance. A miniscule chance, but still a chance.

The girl rushed abruptly to the door. Only a fraction of a second and she once again found herself face to face with the man. He looked at her from under his brow, no hint of a former smile on his lips.

"If you'd let me in your house as a well-mannered person would, everything would have been different." Said Klaus, and Caroline realized with surprise that she believed him.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Asked the girl with anguish in her voice, no longer hoping to escape. "Why me?"

Klaus, with his head slightly to one side and looking into her eyes, ran his fingers over the axe handle that blonde was still clutching in her hand. The man didn't even try to throw it away. He just removed his hand, as if the axe was no longer of any interest to him.

"Call it curiosity, Caroline." Said the hybrid. "If it wasn't for Tyler, I would be unlikely to pay attention to you. But now I really enjoy you, as I already said. Is this so hard to believe?"

Caroline was scared, but it was silly to keep quiet.

"What are you enjoying?" She hissed. "My fear?"

The Original laughed and shook his head.

"Rather your resistance. Although... When you're scared your scent becomes really special. It's amazing. By the way, did you know that the hybrids have very keen sense of smell? Once sensing the smell of someone we never confuse it with anything." The man said it as if the blonde should admire such talent, but she just pursed her lips angrily. "Sometimes I think I feel my little girl from tens of miles away. You're the only one I feel so acutely. Perhaps it's some special kind of chemistry. Something special between us, between you and me."

"Between us?" Caroline thought she must have misheard. "You're nuts if you think that I can have anything to do with someone like you!"

Klaus's eyes flashed a shadow, but a cocky grin still remained on his lips.

"But we have something that binds us. Tyler."

Everything inside Caroline froze. Though the Original said it in a calm voice, she could read a threat in his look.

"You wouldn't dare!" The girl wanted to sound as confident as possible, but still shook noticeably.

Klaus laughed, waving his hands to the sides.

"There is nothing, my little girl, that I would not dare do."

Caroline tried to find a way out of this obviously dangerous, for her and Tyler, situation. No matter how optimistic she could be, she realized they can't cope with the Original. Klaus was too strong. And too cunning.

"We could discuss calmly... our differences." The young vampire said, not really confident, trying to buy time to come up with something better.

The hybrid shook his head.

"I do not want to calmly deal with our "differences." Ironically said the man. "You had your chance, but you did not use it."

Caroline recoiled. Now more than ever, she felt a great desire to live. The girl waved the axe again, but this time, Klaus didn't play the "all-mighty hybrid." He just snatched the weapon from the hands of the blonde and smiled almost gently.

"Good night, Caroline."

A swift wave of the hand, and the girl plunging into darkness fell on the dirty floor.


	4. She makes you stronger

**Thank you to everyone who took time to review and followed this story. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy ;)**

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Caroline woke up to the feeling of someone shaking her, trying to bring her to life. With some difficulty opening the heavy eyelids, she saw a troubled Tyler leaning over her. The guy looked really worried.

"Caroline!" Her name sounded as if from a great distance.

The girl looked around. She was still in the basement but neither Klaus, nor the hybrid's body was there. The blonde touched her face – it was still stained with blood. "Now he'll believe me!" Thought Caroline, taking the offered hand and standing up from the floor.

"What happened?" Tyler cupped her face with his hands, looking into her eyes. "We found your car in a ditch near here. God, how I was scared."

The blonde got a bad feeling. But still went to the stairs, trying to be out in the fresh air as soon as possible. Too nightmarish were her association with the musty basement. This was where they once for the first time truly became close with Tyler.

When they were on the street, she asked cautiously:

"When you said that you found my car, who did you mean by we?"

Tyler pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and began to clean the blood from the girl's face.

"Klaus and I."

Caroline jerked away from him like from a leper as anger overcame her. And somehow, this anger was directed more towards the Lockwood boy than the maniac that nearly killed her in the basement.

"You and Klaus?" She asked sarcastically. "And you have no problem with the fact that the car accident happened because of Klaus? Or that he threatened me, and I killed one of his precious hybrids tonight?"

Tyler looked at the blonde as if he doubted her sanity.

"Care, Klaus couldn't physically be there. All this time he was with me."

The girl just laughed insincerely and grimly, waving her hand. She was already too confused to understand anything. Too many strange events in such a short period of time, the Original maniac was stalking her and her boyfriend who believed that her words are an absolute fabrication on top of everything else. A bitter cherry on top of one screwed-up sundae... Caroline was too angry to even argue.

"Take me home." Said the girl wearily.

Lockwood nodded, put his arm around her shoulders and headed for the side road nearby. The blonde wasn't even surprised when she saw Klaus leaning his hip against the hood. The hybrid's face was surprised and worried. He was a wonderful actor – Caroline had to give him that. But now she could see the man's essence even more pronounced and was irritated and angry that Tyler still couldn't see the immoral monster that was his Creator.

"Caroline, what happened?" The Original asked worriedly, and Caroline gave him a murderous look. "Slippery roads, of course, are the scourge of the time."

The girl didn't answer to such apparent mockery. She was already resigned to the fact that now she had to return home in the company of none other than the one responsible for her unfortunate accident. Klaus's company was extremely unpleasant, but there was not the slightest chance to get rid of him. When the hybrid politely opened the door for her, Caroline again only gave him a baleful look, and going around the car got into it from the other side. The girl knew it was childish, but couldn't control herself. It was just awful, not being able to confront this insolent jerk as an equal.

They drove in silence. The tension was literally hanging in the air. But none of them said a word. Caroline didn't want to talk to Klaus. Tyler was clearly uncomfortable with the three of them in the same car. The girl felt that her words planted doubts in him. Every now and then he gave her a close look in the mirror. On one hand the blonde was happy to see that he didn't think she went completely nuts, but on the other – what in fact was Tyler able to do? Actually, he had a certain vague belief in her accusations before, but for some reason it was rapidly eroding. Such changes troubled Caroline, but she assumed it was due to his new nature. And the changes that come with it.

Caroline leaned back in her seat, looking at her reflection in the glass, and chuckled darkly. Klaus turned Tyler effortlessly. And with the same enthusiasm was now playing with her. And whatever purpose he might be pursuing, without even noticing it they became hostages of the Original. His new toys.

Caroline wanted Tyler to stay with her that night. She wanted to talk a lot, and felt that he could believe her and realize in what danger they were. The girl was scared, though she tried to convince herself that she could find the way out. Insanely afraid not even for themselves, but for their relationship, which could collapse at the whim of a perverted maniac. She already felt that their relationship with Tyler was becoming weaker after his conversion with the hybrid. Klaus was displacing all good things and Caroline as well.

Before, even when the guy acted often as a pompous snob, he has never been so intoxicated by his superiority over someone. Now Caroline began to notice that this behaviour slipped here and there, in the most unexpected moments. And regretfully realized where all this was coming from. She felt that if they didn't do something now, then maybe she would never see that Tyler she once knew.

But Tyler couldn't stay because he "promised to give Klaus a ride home." The girl looked knowingly, first at her boyfriend, then at Klaus and silently walked to the porch. Entering the house, she threw off the bloodstained clothes and stood under the hot shower. "For now we're Klaus's experimental bunnies, but what will happen when he'll get tired?"

…

He poured a glass of whiskey and slumped in his chair, with his feet on the coffee table. Klaus slowly sipped from his glass while watching Tyler, who was clearly trying to hide something from him. Lockwood was not a very good actor, and every time, catching the man's eyes on him was quickly to avert his own. The Original smiled, knowing where the wind was blowing from. The things were going exactly how the man has planned. He was amused, watching a frightened Caroline rushing for support to her boyfriend, who was taking her every word with scepticism.

Klaus even knew what was coming. Tyler won't remain silent. The guy will take another sip and ask his Creator what was going on. When Lockwood picked up his glass and took a sip, the Original's grin widened. He condescendingly watched the boy fidgeting on the couch, uncertain. Tyler was his "favourite." And it was not that he was the first who survived the transition into a hybrid, no. Klaus was more interested in him still not quitting, trying to confront the master. Other hybrids were literally eating from his palm, and this puppy was still occasionally barring his teeth in an attempt to establish his independence. And the Original gave him the semblance of an illusory freedom. He could make him obey, but didn't want to completely suppress this already gradually fading spark of rebellion. In the end, the water wears away the stone, and Tyler will become a full member of the pack. For now... He was a great way to pass the time in this small boring town. The exception to the rule. Something special.

"Caroline told me that you're stalking her." Finally said Lockwood a little hesitantly.

Klaus took another sip and put down his glass aside, ironically looked at the guy.

"What do you yourself think about this?" Asked the Original with a raised eyebrow, as if nothing had happened.

He was visibly nervous, and the Original was clearly enjoying it. The boy himself didn't understand the full force of their connection. He naively assumed that he and the Creator are if not equal, at least on relatively friendly terms. But the truth was that in fact Klaus could tell him to jump off the roof, and he, though with some hesitation, but would make a leap. Even if death was waiting downstairs.

"I don't know what to think." Tyler said honestly. "You were with me when the accident occurred. I saw you with my own eyes. But Caroline... Caroline says that you were at that time with her. She's not the one to come up with stuff like this, but... How can this be?"

Klaus shook his head.

"Well, it could be something like this. I could compel you, make you believe that I was with you when I returned from the little entertainment, and then ask for a ride home. I could ask one of the hybrids to cross your way exactly where Caroline had the accident. And "accidentally" see the mangled fence." The Original said it so quietly that at first Tyler thought he was joking. "Here's how it could be."

The ancient hybrid with obvious glee watched the changing face of the kid, as the meaning of his words was slowly coming to him.

"You wouldn't do that!" He whispered in shock.

Then confusion was replaced by anger, and Tyler rushed forward. A moment later, he flew to the wall, breaking the bookshelf. Klaus looked with displeasure at the damaged piece of furniture and then turned his attention to the pup stretched on the floor in the middle of scattered books. The man stood over him, knowing full well how emotionally pressing it was for the boy. He should have certainly finally realized how insignificant he was against Klaus.

"Why not?" Drawled the Original with his head to the side. "I could. In fact, let's see, I did several times. You have no idea how fun it was to watch how obstinately you refuse to see the truth. But on the other hand, who would blame you? After all, you believed your own eyes more than poor Caroline. Although, as it turns out, it wasn't even what you've seen."

"Bastard!" Tyler hissed, trying to rush back to the Original.

He just laughed, pushing a heavy boot on Lockwood's chest and preventing this desperate attempt.

"Now what?" The guy croaked with hatred. "You'll kill me?"

Klaus just shook his head.

"No, why should I?" he drawled theatrically. "On the contrary. I shall deprive you of this spiritual anguish. I'll just compel you. And this conversation never took place. As, however, talking to Caroline. You'll just go home, go to sleep and in the morning go to school with a clear conscience."

"Why are you doing this?"

The Original stared wearily at the ceiling. The man was really tired to explain everything to this boy. This conversation has been repeated for the third time.

"The answer "just because", as I understand it, won't satisfy you?" Grabbing the lapels of his jacket, Klaus pulled Tyler up from the floor. "Well, I will answer you for the last time. You are my favourite pet. You know, the one who every time tries to bite your hand, but which at the same time for some reason you appreciate more than others. And you know, I looked at you every time and I couldn't understand – why a pretty boy like you, not burdened with intelligence and in essence no different from hundreds of others like him, is yet so special that still resists the strength of our ties. And then suddenly I realized. Caroline makes you stronger." The man threw the boy into a chair and leaned over him, with his hands on the armrests. "And then I finally considered it. She really is worth it to fight back. So good, so pure, despite her vampire nature... And so desirable." Lockwood again tried to attack the hybrid, but he easily threw him off with the chair. "You know, I even began to feel something akin to attraction. It's so funny, to feel attracted to such a young and inexperienced girl. How did you say? She is a "big girl"? Oh yes, Tyler, I think that it's time for Caroline to learn something about being an adult."

"Don't you dare to put a finger on her!" Tyler threatened, rising from the floor, but Klaus just laughed.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to resist such pleasure..." The Original pointedly raised an eyebrow. "...touch her with my fingers. And now, my boy, you better get back to reality, not burdened by the memory of this conversation."


End file.
